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(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. H. CHAMP. HYDRAULIC AIR COMPRESSOR.

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Patented Aug. 13,1895.

(N0 Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. H. CHAMP. HYDRAULIC AIR COMPRESSOR. No. 544,458. Patented Aug. 13,1895. -FIETIII- -FIGJym/ 1 wwff/T T G C 1b s LA? 1f G c 0 A5 la w la /o 5 0 o f .LA 3 l a, A n h E. f a- "fb E@ Ly/ 0 wy o o 1.,' L///\ o jf; :gij/,w3 LIL o ILO T gb el 60g, ,1/2 W I o JI /a/G W l /G o o I H a5 aff 15g* y a? Witnsses) .Inl/e1@ faz;

y@ w d//wfwm NITED STATES PATENT Ormea JOSEPH H. CHAMP, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BISHOP do BABCOCK COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

HYDRAULIC AIR-COMPRESSOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,458, dated August 13, 1895.

' Application tiled December 4, 1893- Serial No. 492,656. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. CHAMP, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Air-Com pressors, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained, and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail one mechanical form embodying the invention, such detail construction being but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings, Figure I represents an axial section of my improved hydraulic air-compressor; Fig. II, a similar view of another form of said compressor; Fig. III, an axial section of the valve mechanism, illustrating the position of the valves at the begrinning of the upstroke of the pistons; Fig. IV, a similar section illustrating the rst position of the valves after the pistons have reached the extreme of their upstroke; Fig. f

V, a similar section illustrating the position of the valves at the beginning of the downstroke of the pistons, and Fig. VI a similar section illustrating the first position of the valves after the pistons have reached the extreme of their downstroke.

A valve-casing Ais formed with an axial cylindrical valve-chamber A', into which opens an inlet A2 for the actuating-fluid, and from which chamber an outlet A3 for the waste extends. The flat top of the valve-casing has a circular internally-screw-threaded flange a, and the valve-casing is supported upon a suitable base B. A water-cylinder C has an annular channel c surrounding its lower end, and the enlargement formed at said end by said channel is screwed into the flange of the valve-casing. The annular channel is open upon its under side, Vlout becomes closed by the top of the valve-casing when the cylinder is' screwed against the same. A channel C extends from the annular channel to the upper end of the water-cylinden An air-compression cylinder D is secured upon the upper end of the water-cylinder and is provided with an air-inlet having an air-inlet valve d and an air-outlet nozzle d', having an air-outlet valve d2. In the formpillustrated in Fig. I the compression-cylinder is separated from the water cylinder by a suitable head and an air inlet and outlet d3 is provided at the lower end of said compressioncylinder. In the form illustrated in Fig. II the lower end of the compression-cylinder communicates with the upper end ofthe water-cylinder, which in this case must be of a greater diameter than the compression-cylinder, so that the downward pressure of the actuating-fluid upon the larger piston in the water-cylinder may overcome the upward pressure upon the smaller piston in the compression-cylinder. Awaterpiston E'slides in the water-cylinder C and has water at both of its faces, and an aircompression piston F slides in the compression-cylinder, having air at both of its faces in the form illustrated in Fig. I, and air and water, respectively, at its upper and under side in the form illustrated in Fig. II. Said pistons are connected by a tubular pistonrod G, the bore of which is contracted at its lower end, as indicated by g.

` The valve-chamberA has an annular portchannel a surrounding it and communicating with it, and the water-inlet opens into said port-channel. A similar port-channel a2 surrounds the valve-chamber at the water-outlet, communicating with the latter and with the interior ofY the valve-chamber. An annular port-channel a3 surrounds the valve-chamber at a point midway between the inlet-port channel and the outlet-port channel and communicates with the lower end of the watercylinder through a channel a4, thus forming a distributing-port for that part of the watercylinder. Another annular port-channel a5 surrounds the valve-chamber below the outletport and forms a distributing-port for the upper end of the water-cylinder as it communicates with the annular channel c through a channel a6, and through said annular channel and the vertical channel c with the upper end of the water-cylinder. An annular portchannel a7 surrounds the valve-chamber above the inlet-port and communicates with the lower end lof the valve-chamber through IOO a channel a8 and a port a9 in the bottom of the chamber. An annular port-channel 0,10 surrounds the valve-chamber above said communicating-port a7 and communicates with the outlet through a channel all. An auxiliary port cl2 extends from the valve-chamber slightly below the communicating-port a7 to the distributing-channel a for the upper end of the water-cylinder.

An extensible and contractible valve slides in the Valve-chamber and consists of three parts connected together by slip-joints. The lower part of the valve consists of a main controlling-valve portion H, having two pistons H and H2, and astem h at its upper end provided with a knob h at its end. A primary valve portion H3 above said main portion has a piston H4, an axial bore h2, in which the stem ofthe main portion slides and formed with a contracted lower end, and a neck h3 formed with a flange h4 at its upper end. A packing portion H5 above said primary por- Lion has a piston HG, an axial bore h5, contracted at its lower end and having the neck of the primary portion sliding in it, and a stem 7i, which extends upward into the bore ofthe tubular piston-rod and is provided with a knob k7 at its upper end and with a shoulder hs at its lower end, so that said packing portion may be raised and depressed respectively at the upper and lower extreme of the stroke of the pistons in the cylinders. The upper end of the valve-chamber is open and communicates with the water-cylinder, and a suitable stop 0.13 is provided to prevent the packing portion of the valve from slipping out of the valve-chamber.

In describing the operation of the air-compressor, the water-inlet will be presumed to be connected to a source of water under pressure, such as a water-service pipe, the wateroutlet to be connected to a suitable waste, and the several parts of the air-compressor to be in the positions illustrated in Figs. I, II, and III. When the valve portions are in the positions there illustrated, the actuatingwater passes through the inlet and inlet-port, above the controlling-Valve, to the middle distributing-port, whence it passes upward to the lower end of the water-cylinder, acting upon the piston therein and forcing said piston upward This will cause the compressionpiston to force air under a corresponding pressure out through the outlet-nozzle of the compression-cylinder. The water which on the previous stroke had forced the waterpiston down and which is within the watercylinder above its piston will flow down through the vertical channel C through the annular channel c and the vertical distributing-channel of and through the lower distributing-port a5 of said channel to the outlet, the two pistons of the controlling-valve portion connecting the ports a5 and a2. When the pistons complete their upward stroke, they will pull upward upon the valve-stem h6, drawing the packing portion, the primary portion, and the controlling portion upward, the two latter portions being, however, not drawn up completely to the end ot their upstroke, on account of the slip-joints between said portions, as illustrated in Fig. IV. In this position the primary-valve portion is raised Sufiiciently to uncover the upper distributing-port a7, so as to connect said port with the inletport, so that the inlet-water may pass through said port a7, channel a8, and port a down to force the main controlling-valve portion upward, the upward pressure of the inlet-water upon the lower piston ofthe controlling-'valve being stronger than the downward pressure upon the upper piston of said valve, counterbalanced by the upward pressure upon the under side of the primary valve, the upper side of which is exposed to the waste. This will canse the valve portions to assume the positions illustrated in Fig. V, in which allot' the valve portions are in their highest positions, being forced up by the pressure of the actuating-water upon the under side of the controlling-valve portion and upon the under side of the primary valve portion. The actuating water now passes from the inletport through the upper distributing port a7 through the channel as and port a into the lower end of the valve-chamber, thence through the lower distributing-port e5 and channel a, annular channel c, and vertical channel C to the upper end ot' the water-cylinder, where it will act upon the water-piston and force the latter down. The'water in the lower portion of the water-cylinder, below the water-piston, will pass out through the distributing-channel for the lower end of said cylinder and out through the outlet-port and outlet, the middle distributing-port and the outlet-port being connected by the controlling-valve. When the pistons arrive at the extreme of their downstroke, the water-piston will push the packing portion and primary portion of the valve down. In this downward movement the primary Valve portion will cover the upper distributing-port a7, and would, if no other provisions were made, cut oi the supply to the upper end of the watercylinder, thus stopping the downstroke of the water-piston before the lower end of the valve-chamber could be connected to the waste. This position is illustrated in Fig. VI. To prevent such premature stopping of the downstroke of the piston, the auxiliary port a12 is provided, through which port the actuating water may continue to pass up to the upper end of the water-cylinder, to complete the downstroke of the water-piston. As the auxiliary port is of a comparatively very much smaller area than the other ports in the valve-chamber, any water which at other times will pass through said port will have no perceptible influence upon the action of the compressor. When the primary valve portion has been forced completely down, so as to uncover the upper distributing-port, and thus connect it with the upper waste or outlet IOO IIO

port, the main valve portion will be forced down by the inlet-water, connecting the inletport and the distributing-port for the lower end of the water-cylinder and connecting the distributing-port for the upper end of the Water-cylinder with the outlet. The parts will thus again occupy the positions illustrated in Fig. III, and the water-piston will again travel upward.

In the form of air-compressor illustrated in Fig. I, the compression-piston will alternately draw air into the cylinder and expel it under pressure at the upper end of the cylinder, above the piston. Below the piston air will be simply drawn in and again expelled without being utilized. If desired air inlet and outlet valves may also be provided for that end of the cylinder, thus making both the compression-cylinder and the water-cylinder double-acting.

The form of air-compressor illustrated in Fig. II can be employed as single-acting only, as water is at all times against the under side of the piston in the compression-cylinder.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed for the mode herein explained. Change may therefore be made as regards the mechanism thus disclosed, provided the principles of construction set forth respectively in the following claims are employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention- 1. In an air compressor, the combination with a cylinder and a piston therein; of a valve chamber having an inlet port, an outlet port below the latter, a distributing port between said ports and communicating with one end of the cylinder, a distributing port below the outlet port and communicating with the other end of the cylinder, a distributing port above the inlet `port and communicating with the lower end of the valve chamber, and an outlet port above said latter distributing port; a main controlling valve portion having play below the inlet port and provided with two pistons at such relative distance that it may connect the outlet port with either distributing port for the cylinder; and a primary valve portion connected with said main controlling. portion by a slip joint and with the piston in the cylinder to be shifted by the same and having play above and below the distributing port for the lower end of the valve chamber, substantially as set forth.

2. In an air compressor, the combination with a cylinder and a piston therein; of a valve chamber open at one end into the cylinder, having an inlet port, an outlet port below the latter, a distributing port forone end of the cylinder and between said ports, a distributing port below the outlet port and communicating with the other end of the cylinder, a distributing port above the inlet and communicating with the lower end of the valve chamber, and an outlet port above said distributing port; and a valve consisting of a main controlling portion having two pis- -tons at such relative distance that it may connect the outlet and either distributing port for the cylinder, a primary portion having play at both sides of the distributing port for the lower end of the valve chamber, and a packing portion permanently' above the ports,- said portions connected togetherby slip joints and connected to the piston in the cylinder to be shifted by the same, substantially as set forth.

3. In an air compressor, the combination with 'a cylinder and a piston therein; of a valve chamber having a distributing port a3 for the lower end of the cylinder, a distributing port a. for the upper end of the cylinder, an outlet port between said ports, an inlet port above said ports, a port at7 having a channelconnection to the lower end of the valve chamber, an outlet port am, and an auxiliary port au connected to the inlet supply and a short distance from port a7; a main controlling valve portion controlling the inlet and outlet of water for the cylinder; and a primary valve portion having play at both sides of the ports a7 and 0.12 and connected to be shifted by the piston in the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing to be my invention I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day of November, A. D. 1893.

JOS. H'. CHAMP. Witnesses:

WM. SECHER, DAVID T. DAVIES. 

